sv Oriane late August/ Labor Day Cruise
Sunday August 24, 2025
Oriane and her captain are out sailing with friends Joe McNulty and Cecily Rich.
Cecily met me in Rockland and we sailed across to Perry Creek where we waited for Joe to arrive in North Haven on the evening ferry. After collecting Joe and his gear we went back to Perry for the night.
It was a good day.
14.0nm
865.4nm for the season
Monday
We left Perry and made our way to the eastern end of the Fox Island Thorofare turned north up Isle au Haut Bay to Tom Cod Cove Holbrook Island which was almost deserted giving the crew the pick of any of the three guest moorings.
It was a good day.
20.5nm
885.4nm for the season
Tuesday
Today we left Holbrook Island at 9:30 AM, docked in Castine and did a walkabout to see the seal sculptures embedded in the sidewalk, the gardens, the town's coveted Elm trees and the town square. We picked up some ice and topped off the forward water tank. We sailed up into Stockton Harbor to take a look then tacked back and forth to our final destination in Cradle Cove, Gilkey Harbor. 27.2 nm over the ground, 8 hrs later including walking around.
It was a good day.
913nm for the season.
Wednesday morning, August 27, found Oriane riding quietly in Cradle Cove, Gilkey Harbor. Can't believe that the captain and crew finally got up at the crack of 8 o'clock. After coffee and a bowl of cereal I fired up the instruments and decided on a course. Once ready, we raised the main, backwinded the Genoa and released the mooring. A light breeze allowed us to ghost away from the anchorage.
A long tack to the opposite shore allowed us to fetch the buoy outside of Warren Island nicely passing shallows and the ferry Margaret Chase Smith at her Ilseboro landing.
We tacked down the bay then finally were able to head towards the passage south of Lassal Island that you take on your way to Pulpit Harbor. We put a reef in the main to make it more comfortable and manageable in the increasing wind. The storms coming from the west made us hurry and we were sailing pretty fast.
Outside Pulpit Rock we turned downwind furled the Genoa, then finally fired up Johan the Phantom for the first time of the day to push us upwind into the harbor. Johan succeeded in his job of pushing Oriane into the cove. We picked up a friend's mooring with permission. And cleaned up the boat.
Dinner in a while after the crew takes a break.
The storm came through and dropped a bunch of rain. When the rain stopped and the sun returned a magnificent double rainbow appeared over the harbor
It was a fun sail today.
It was a good day.
15.6nm over 3.5 hrs
928.7nm for the summer
Thursday
We motored back to Rockland to say goodbye to Cecily, do some shopping and pick up Kathy coming in from NH.
After casting off from the dock we had a romping sail back across the Bay with a reefed main and full genoa. We proceeded through Leadbetter Narrows and end up secure in Long Cove at the top end of Hurricane Sound.
For those keeping score, Joe won the first two- handed game of Cribbage and I won the three-handed game against Kathy and Joe coming from behind after Kathy started off with a substantial 38 point lead.
It's been a good day.
21.5nm for the day
98.8nm for the friends cruise
950.2nm for the summer
Friday
Coffee and omelettes in the cockpit pondering weather and destinations.
Dishes done and after initiating departure procedures Kathy received a need for crisis communication for one of her clients. Electronics and engine shut down so she could get things sorted out and sent off.
Meanwhile, the rest of the crew kept a weather eye out for predicted storms and watched eagles soaring in the breeze.
Dark menacing clouds were gathering to effect our day.
In the time we had before the storm hit, Joe and I tightened the backstay and checked the mast for plumb. Kathy remained below typing away furiously to help her client.
The crew cleared the deck and moved below as the rain began in earnest. The oven makes a good place to put small electronic equipment in a thunderstorm.
Another pot of coffee was made. The critical press release was sent out when one of the many devices caught the elusive cell signal unawares.
When one of the storms went past and before the next one on the radar would catch us we headed out to North Haven to get a stable signal so that Kathy could tie up some loose ends. We slowed way down so as to not catch the rain cell that was ahead of us. After a successful upload in North Haven, we struck off for Winter Harbor where I knew we would have excellent protection from the weather.
The wind piped up to 22 knots but Oriane made a good show of it motor sailing to charge the batteries. All the while we watched storm cell after storm cell march past to our northwest.
We motored into the approach to Winter Harbor past Starboard Rock, swung around the 2' spot and picked up and tested the vacant MDI mooring.
Secure, it was time to relax.
Tomorrow my friends John Tidd and Kelly Kahler ( both extraordinary former Vermont cross country ski area owners) come onboard in Rockland as we say goodbye to Joe who is flying back home to Seattle.
For those keeping score, Joe won the three-way cribbage game today. Kathy was a close second. I had some spectacular 2 point hands but was able to squeak past the skunk line.
It's been a good day.
11.1nm for the day
101.9nm for this cruise
961.3nm for the season
Saturday
We left Winter Harbor and headed to Rockland to change crews. Joe flew home to Seattle and John and Kelly from Vermont came aboard. It was afternoon and we decided to make it all the way to Merchant Row so pressed on past the Fox Island Thorofare. A big nasty storm system chased us across Isle au Haut Bay past Stonington. Our first choice anchorage was both crowded and exposed as was our primary backup. But close by I knew of an even better spot that I had been to before to heave our anchor overboard - Coombs Islands. We beat the storm to the anchorage at 20 minutes past 6PM then watched the storm veer well south of our position. Coombs is a lovely spot.
Sitting in the cockpit we toasted breaking 1000nm for the summer.
The evening's entertainment besides games was watching an eagle being harassed by seagulls.
Nothing further of consequence to report.
It was a good day.
40.7nm for the day
142.6nm for the cruise
1002nm for the summer
Sunday
After Kathy wandered around on her Kayak we raised anchor and took the Vermont boys for a tour through the numerous and beautiful islands of Merchant Row.
Once past Mark Island light, we raised sails and gave Johan the Phantom a much needed rest. The wind was light but we were in no rush so we glided with the incoming tide north towards our destination of the Barred Islands. It was a day of idol pleasures as the world went slowly by.
We arrived at high tide and anchored in 35' of water.
Games and sunset provided the evening entertainment.
It was a good day.
15nm for the day
157.6nm for the cruise
1017nm for the summer
Labor Day Monday
With yet another lazy start to the day and a short passage to Pulpit, slow progress under sail provided ample opportunity for relaxation.
We picked up a friend's mooring with permission and the men folk took Porcine to the town dock. Kathy took her kayak. We walked to the Market for exercise and a spot of lunch. On the return we sat on a picnic bench to contemplate the world around us. Before we loaded back into Porcine we walked to see some Chestnut trees that had survived the blighted to the isolation of the island. Upon our return John helped me with a couple of maintenance items then dinner and games.
It was a good day.
7nm for the day
165nm for the cruise
1024nm for the summer
Tuesday
It was an early start for the final day of our cruise. Kathy hand to get home for a meeting and the VT boys had a long drive home.
The did boat stuff then dropped the mooring line and headed to Rockland.
The below deck clean up and gear organizing was accomplished underway so that we could make a quick getaway once we got to our mooring.
We arrived at 9:40AM did final checks and took the launch ashore.
Thus ended the end of August/Labor Day cruise.
It was a good day.
11nm for the day
176nm for the cruise
1035nm for the summer
Sent from Thom's iPhone
No comments:
Post a Comment